Jeannette Thraen
Graphics Alum
Jeannette Thraen
October 15, 2008
Jeannette Thraen attended the Graphics Communications program her junior and senior years. She graduated from River Ridge in 1998. Then went on to receive her Associate's degree in Arts from Highland Community College and her Bachelor's degree in Photo/Film/Electronic Media (now called Motion Images) from the University of Illinois in Chicago.
I sat down with Jeannette and asked her to recall her experiences at the AVC:
"I remember there were always a lot of different projects going on at the same time and you were able to pick which ones you wanted to focus on. I enjoyed the class a lot… from clip art to screen printing. You could see what everyone else was doing and interact with people from other schools. It was a great learning environment to bounce ideas off each other and find inspiration."
How did this class affect your career choices?
"It was the only art class that I was able to take in High School. It let me know that I had an interest in this field and then I kept pursuing it as I got older. It gave you a wide variety of things to try, which really helped when it came time to finalize college plans."
How did the AVC prepare you for your future plans?
"I learned that these career paths existed and because of my work at the vocational center, I had access to them. Soon after High School, I got a job in screen printing and embroidery. Just being around these mediums and taking the class opened up options for me."
Would you recommend the graphics program to other High School students?
"Definitely, it was a good experience. It was nice to step out of my own school and be in a different environment. I had access to learn all these things, there were so many options. It was my favorite class of High School."
